I was born in South Korea in 1979 to a family of humble farmers. Fortunately for me, as is the Korean way, my parents invested everything in their children’s education. Immigrating to the USA in 2002, as have many of my countrymen; what probably distinguishes me most from the pack of applicants is that I am fluent in written as well as spoken Chinese, along with English and my native Korean. It is my sincere hope that my language capabilities in Chinese will open doors for me in terms of future professional opportunities as a scientist. This is because everyone recognizes Korean/Chinese collaboration on scientific endeavors to be a very positive occurrence.

My higher education back in Korea was primarily in the Chinese language, in addition to English. But I did excel in those science courses that I undertook, including in college. Nevertheless, I formally began my education in the physical sciences shortly after arriving in America and completed my Associates Degree by 2006. I then went on to earn the BS in Biology last May of 2011 at XXXX University. My greatest strength is probably the enormous enthusiasm that I have for all things marine. It is the marine environment in which I feel most at home, especially the geography of the deep sea as well as environments closer to shore. I have made an enormous investment in the study of sea life, particularly cell structure and function. I find the laboratory to be deeply fulfilling and I can get lost in time while identifying and visualizing cells with a staining technique.

There are many applicants to your distinguished program that have higher grades than I do. I ask for you to take into consideration, however, that since I disembarked in the US, I was forced to hit the ground running in English and keep falling on my face for some time. While my English improved in leaps and bounds over time, this linguistic challenge did have a negative effect on my GPA. Furthermore, since we are only a middle-class family, on top of my struggle with English, I have had to work full-time (as an auto mechanic) in order to support myself. To top things off, my father succumbed to cancer back in Korea; and I suffered most of all for not being able to be with him through this time. I was fascinated by cancer even before my father’s diagnosis and subsequent death, but I found myself drawn to this disease like a mouth to the flame as it gradually took my father away from me.

I particularly look forward to learning as much as I can in your program about genetics. I have spent a lot of time doing research in this area, mostly performing genetic experiments using Drosophila melanogaster, studying its ability to produce genetic mutations. I also have a solid background in the study of nomenclature, making preparations, monitoring reactions, and further analyzing the reaction mechanisms of functional groups of aliphatic and aromatic compounds. While I do love marine biology, I also increasingly find myself drawn to the possibility of devoting my professional life to joining the struggle against cancer through the development of new generations of anti-cancer drugs that are more potent and less damaging to healthy cells.

I believe that I have the right combination of patience, zeal, passion, precision, and concentration to excel in your program. With a Master’s Degree from XXXX, I will have a state-of-the-art tool kit for full immersion in the laboratory, working on the cutting edge of something as noble as the battle against cancer cells. I already spend a lot of time reading about cell proliferation and its complex relationships with various forms of tumors. I am honored by your consideration of my application.